


Mad About You

by AOHNA



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Vanya Hargreeves, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Guest Starring E-Girls, Icarus Theater, No Apocalypse, No Apocalypse (Umbrella Academy), Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves-centric, no beta we die like nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 06:54:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20041747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AOHNA/pseuds/AOHNA
Summary: The first person to show affection and positive attention to Vanya wasn't bitchass Harold Jenkins, but Helen Cho, first violin. Uptight, snarky, a bit of an asshole, but deep down a good person with a soft spot for the third chair violinist. How lesbian love unintentionally averts the apocalypse.





	Mad About You

Helen Cho had auditioned for Orchestra Verdammten when she was 17 years old. She'd gotten in, third chair, and worked her way up. Her first step towards independence from her parents. She felt a bit freer, a bit lighter, to know that it was an aspect of her life her parents couldn't micromanage.

Helen Cho was when 22 she got a job, 23 when she moved out, and 27 when she fell in love. 

Vanya Hargreeves cut her hair short when she was 17 years old. It was rather jagged and sloped to one side, but it was noticeable. She held her breath throughout breakfast, hoping someone noticed her haircut or at least noticed her. Klaus winked at her and Allison whispered a quick compliment as she passed by after breakfast. Vanya practically glowed for the rest of the day. Her hair was something that made her stood out, helped her stop blending in with the wallpaper. She was visible.

When Vanya was 19, she got her first student to teach violin, 21 when she had saved enough money to move out, and 25 when she realized she might have a small crush on the first chair violinist.

\---

Helen Cho had a horrible defense mechanism. To make sure no one got too close, she made sure that she planted barbs where it hurt, to the extent that the person would never want to try to get to know her. They only wanted to know her mask anyways, the side of her that was snarky, cool, and confident. People thought that her confidence was earned, and if they tried to get closer she feared that one day, they'd know the truth: she was boring. Basic, even. 

The only thing that made her interesting was her violin, and she was so glad they never saw past that. 

"You were great today. Really, really great." Helen glanced from the mirror and her heart skipped a beat. 

The third chair violinist with a gorgeous smile. Damn, she should start paying attention to people's names. Vanessa? She tried to come with a scathing remark, or a cheap one-liner to see that smile again, but all that tumbled from her lips was a flat "thanks."

Third chair (Vanya?) flinched but continued on, obviously determined.

"It's those runs in the Stravinsky. I've been hacking at them for weeks, and you just-" 

"Make them look easy?" Helen finished, almost sarcastically. She was halfway there to making sure that the other woman (Vanya, she was mostly sure) never talked to her again. A quick jab at her violin playing skills and she would avoid Helen for the rest of her life. Something stopped her. She took a deep breath and gave her best attempt of a smile.

"Sorry, it's been a long week for me, I was just about to head to the bar. Do you want to join me?" 

It was an offer out of politeness, Vanya would refuse, and she'd be on her way. Even the most pathetic excuse could get her out of drinks with a person she barely knew. 

"Yeah, sure, I- I'd love to." 

It was hard to determine whose face was more surprised. Helen nodded, mostly to herself, and motioned towards the door.

"After you."

\-----------

At that moment, Vanya had no idea why she said yes to drinks with Helen. 

She barely knew her, they never talked, and to be honest, Helen was a bit condescending.

But as the night wore on, awkward small talk turned to taking turns ranting about family issues which turned into the type of drunken conversation reserved for sleepovers at 3 am.

"A Tik Tok e-girl," Helen declared enthusiastically between long sips of her fifth cranberry vodka. Vanya hid her face in her hands, laughing hysterically.

"That is so untrue!" She remarked indignantly, still giggling "I look nothing like them!" Helen's eye's lit up, and she turned around to rummage through her purse, pulling out her eyeliner triumphantly. 

"Not yet, you don't"

"I'm not letting you do this," Vanya told her, already closing her eyes with a sigh. Helen slid closer, cupping the shorter girl's face with surprising gentleness. Vanya hoped her face wasn't too red. After a few minutes of silence, Helen taking her time to add the miniscule hearts under Vanya's eyes, she declared her artwork finished. She then covered Vanya's eyes with her hands and led her to the bathroom.

"Tada!" Helen beamed, uncovering her hands.

Vanya slowly raised a horrified hand to her face.

"I really do look like an e-girl."

Helen had to sit down.

\-----------------------------

They were eventually kicked out of the bar and begrudgingly said their goodbyes. Vanya knew her head would hurt like a bitch in the morning, but now she was walking on air. She had made a friend.

\------------------------------

Her head did hurt like a bitch in the morning, but she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for rehearsal. On days like this, she'd usually call in sick, the orchestra didn't really need her anyways. But today she had something (someone) to look forward to. 

She paused on the way out the door, eyeing her makeup bag. Surely she had a few minutes to spare.

\-------------------------------

Helen never had any big "fuck me" moments, but waking up with a huge hangover to realize that she completely overshared her life story to the girl she most definitely had a crush on was as close as she was going to get. 

She checked her phone, discovering that she had saved Vanya's number under "e-girl" with no less than fifteen hearts. Her photo was of Vanya with the stupidly endearing eyeliner on, smirking, red in the face and so goddamn adorable.

She sighed. She was so fucked.

**Author's Note:**

> Yea i have no beta so i literally rewrote this 5 times,so point out my mistakes i beg of you. please leave a comment even if u just say that u hate the fic i will appreciate it <33


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